Olympics opening ceremony breaks viewership record

by News Desk , (Last Updated July 30, 2012)

Whether you liked it or not, Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle’s London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony scored Friday night. The Shakespeare-inspired opening ceremony, complete with live animals and an oversized Voldemort from Harry Potter, was the most-watched summer games opening ceremony in history according to NBC. So just how many tuned in to watch everything from Daniel Craig’s Bond-ing moment with Queen Elizabeth II to Mr. Bean’s piano stint, and yes, even rapper Dizzee Rascal, and let’s not forget, the Industrial Revolution recap? A whooping 40.7 million. That tops the 1996 Atlanta games, which previously held the record with 39.8 viewers, and last time’s Beijing ceremony with 34.9 million. And on top of holding the record for the most watched opening ceremony in history, the event was also the most watched event in Britain this year, with an audience of 22.4 million.